Page 1672 - Week 06 - Thursday, 13 August 1992
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ANIMAL WELFARE BILL 1992
Detail Stage
Clause 18 and proposed amendments thereto
Debate resumed.
MR STEVENSON (3.29): We are, of course, talking about whether or not the use of the words "to promote rodeos" means that it is an offence to promote rodeos. Mr Lamont said that if I moved my amendment he would support it. This is the very point I make. I think it was Mr Wood, when he was speaking against the motion, who said, "What a simplistic view! Let me explain it". He went on to explain the absolute opposite to what was correct. When he said that this was a simplistic view, I thought: If there is one thing we need in the ACT, it is more views that are simple. So many of them are convoluted and difficult to understand.
The statement of the Abolish Self Government Coalition is simple. It agrees with the majority of people. We have been out surveying again. At the moment, ignorance of the law in the ACT is no protection against the law; but if we keep passing laws that are difficult to understand, that are not simple, soon you will be able to stand up before a magistrate or a judge and say, "Sir, I did not understand the legislation".
Mr Kaine: "And neither did the Minister".
MR STEVENSON: That is right. Through vast experience, the judge will say, "If that is the case, you are not guilty". He would well understand that, if the Minister for Education and Training cannot understand such a simple clause, the people cannot be expected to. I would like to hear the acknowledgment by the Attorney-General that the words used in subclause 18(1) effectively ban promotion, advertising, car bumper stickers, people wearing signs on their backs, vehicles saying "Rodeo coming to town, Queanbeyan, Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock", and whether people engaging in such activities are or are not committing an offence.
Mr Moore: They are.
MR STEVENSON: I know that they are. I have always known that they are. The point is that we had the Minister stand up on this point, as he has stood up on many others. That is why I moved the censure motion. We are not working as a team. We are saying that this is totally different; yet there is so much we agree upon. This is not an example of government of the people; it is an example of one of the forms of politics, not necessarily the worst, that are driving people to be absolutely disdainful of the entire political process - all of it; all the good bits; all the good actions we take; all the hard work we do; all the good laws we pass - simply because there are a couple of major things missing. One is that we do not consult.
Mr Berry: All the hidden agendas.
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